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24th  Congress, 
Is/  Session. 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 


Ho.  op  Rf.ps. 


LANDS  TO  ORGANIZED  MILITIA  MEN,  &e. 

[To  accompany  bill  H.  R.  No.  570.] 


April  20,  1836. 


Mr.  Casey,  from  the  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands,  made  the  following 

REPORT : 

The  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands,  to  which  were  referred  the  memorials 
of  the  General  Assemblies  of  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  f  ray- 
in g  for  additional  remuneration  to  the  militia  men  and  rangers  who 
defended  the  frontier  of  the  United  States,  during  the  late  war  with  Great 
Britain ;  and  also,  a  preamble  and  joint  resolution  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Kentucky,  proposing  the  passage 
of  a  law  of  Congress  to  place  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  served  for 
a  less  term  than  fire  yearsy  in  the  United  States  army,  in  the  last  war 
with  Great  Britain,  on  a  just  equality  with  the  soldiers  of  that  armyt 
iu  the  distribution  of  the  public  lands  ;  with  instructions  by  the  House 
of  Representatives  “  to  inquire  into  the  propriety  of  passing  a  law  in 
accordance  to  the  said  preamble  and  resolutions f  respectfully  submit 
the  following  report: 

That,  by  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  the  2d  of  January,  1812,  the  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  United  States  was  authorized,  whenever  he  should  have  satis¬ 
factory  evidence  of  the  actual  or  threatened  invasion  of  any  State  or  Ter 
ritory  of  the  United  States,  by  any  Indian  tribe  or  tribes,  to  raise,  either  by 
the  acceptance  of  volunteers,  or  enlistment  for  one  year,  unless  sooner  dis¬ 
charged,  as  many  companies  as  he  should  deem  necessary,  not  exceeding 
six,  to  serve  on  foot,  or  be  mounted,  as  the  service  might  require,  and  who 
should  act  upon  the  frontier  as  rangers  ;  each  of  the  said  companies  was  to 
^consist  of  one  captain,  one  first,  and  one  second  lieutenant,  one  ensign,  four 
^sergeants,  four  corporals,  and  sixty  privates. 

C  The  above  recited  act  further  provided,  “that  the  commissioned  officers 
^should  receive  the  same  pay  and  rations  as  officers  of  the  same  grades 
,  in  the  army  of  the  United  States;  and  when  the  rangers  should  arm  and 
equip  themselves,  and  provide  their  own  horses,  they  should  be  allowed 
each  one  dollar  per  day.  The  manner  of  arming,  equipping,  and  organizing 
J  the  said  corps,  was  placed  under  such  regulations  and  restrictions  as  the 
-nature  of  the  service,  in  the  opinion  of  the  President,  might  require.  This 
f  act  of  course  took  effect  from  its  passage,  and  was  to  continue  in  force  for 
t  one  year,  and  from  thence  to  the  end  of  the  next  session  of  Congress. 

On  the  1st  day  of  July,  1812,  Congress,  by  a  supplementary  act,  autho¬ 
rized  the  raising  of  one  additional  company  of  rangers,  under  like  condi¬ 
tions  and  restrictions. 

V.  __ _ _ _  _  ^ 

^  Blair  &  Rives,  printers. 


2 


[  Kep.  No.  589.  ] 

On  the  25th  day  of  February,  1813,  Congress  provided  a  further  increase 
of  ten  additional  companies  of  rangers,  and  placed  them  upon  a  similar 
footing ;  and  on  the  24th  of  July,  following,  the  same  acts  referred  to  were 
continued  for  one  year  from  that  time,  and  until  the  end  of  the  next  ensuing 
session  of  Congress.  And  so  efficient  had  the  rangers  proved  themselves 
to  be  that  these  ten  companies  were  made  the  substitute  for  a  regiment 
authorized  to  be  raised  by  a  previous  law. 

The  companies  thus  authorized  to  be  raised,  were  organized,  and  entered 
the  service  of  the  United  States.  The  nature  of  that  service,  its  hazards 
and  hardships,  are  well  described  in  the  memorial  of  the  Illinois  Legislature. 
They  show  that  this  class  of  citizens,  now  for  the  first  time  attempted  to  be 
brought  forward  to  the  consideration  of  Congress,  are  not  the  least  deserving 
the  aid  of  the  Government,  though  they  are  the  last  almost  of  the  defenders 
of  our  country  who  have  asked  for  any  remuneration.  Their  claims  to 
the  attention  and  favor  of  the  Government,  will  be  better  understood  from 
a  brief  outline  of  the  condition  of  the  country  when  they  were  its  de¬ 
fenders,  and  the  nature  of  their  services.  Previously  to  the  year  1812,  the 
settlements  of  the  country  were  confined  to  the  margin  of  the  rivers  Ohio 
and  Mississippi,  while  all  between  was  a  wilderness  but  little  frequented  by 
the  whites,  and  the  constant  abode  of  the  Indians  ;  and  when  the  late  war 
broke  out  these  settlements  were  always  exposed  to  their  attacks,  and 
subject  to  their  perpetual  hostilities.  The  weakness  of  their  situation 
forced  the  inhabitants  to  use  extraordinary  exertions  for  their  defence ; 
they  erected  stations,  and  abandoning  their  homes,  and  in  many  instances 
all  they  had  on  earth,  they  devoted  themselves  wholly  to  the  defence  of  their 
country ;  they  were  thus  of  great  benefit  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  adjacent 
States,  who,  but  for  their  adventurous  boldness,  would  have  been  equally 
exposed  ;  they  formed  the  advance  guard  of  the  country,  during  a  fierce 
and  ferocious  Indian  war ;  and  their  privations  and  sufferings  were  almost 
unparalleled. 

The  late  war  with  Great  Britain  raging  at  this  time,  the  great  body  of 
the  troops  of  the  United  States  was  engaged  in  defending  the  more  populous 
parts  of  the  Union,  and  what  is  now  the  States  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  and 
Missouri,  were  left  to  relv  on  their  own  strength  and  courage  for  their 
defence ;  and  it  is  a  proud  reflection,  that  these  brave  men  did  effectually 
defend,  not  only  their  own  widely  extended  frontier,  but  also  the  citizens 
and  property  of  the  adjacent  States. 

The  individuals  composing  these  companies,  were  not  like  those  who 
made  up  the  regular  army  of  the  United  States  in  many  respects  ;  they 
were  citizen  soldiers ,  acting  upon  an  extended  frontier,  .surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  powerful  and  warlike  tribes  of  Indians :  many  of  them  expended 
their  all  in  equipping  themselves  for  the  service ;  their  clothing,  arms,  and 
horses,  were  furnished  by  themselves;  neither  rations  nor  forage  were 
supplied  by  the  Government,  for  the  ranger  was  bound,  out  of  his  small 
wages,  to  furnish  himself  with  a  horse,  arms,  ammunition,  clothing,  and 
provisions;  not  one  cent  was  ever  contributed  by  Government  towards 
their  subsistence  :  no  convenience  provided  but  what  their  own  hard 
earned  money  paid  for.  Many  of  them  had  families,  whose  whole  reliance 
for  support  was  upon  those  who  were  on  duty,  and  who  were  provided  for 
out  of  their  wages.  V.  idle  in  service  they  were  often  prevented  from 
cultivating  their  farms  for  an  entire  season,  and  the  loss  of  a  crop  was  to 
them  a  loss  of  no  ordinary  magnitude.  Add  to  this,  that  all  articles  of  con- 


T'l 

XI 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  j 


* 


5 


sumption,  use,  or  necessity,  bore  an  exceedingly  high  price,  and  then  deduct 
from  their  pay  those  articles  of  necessity,  without  which  they  were  not 
qualified  for  the  service,  and  then,  it  may  well  be  asked,  what  remains  as  a 
remuneration  for  the  time,  services,  and  devotion,  of  these  citizen  soldiers  7 
Your  committee  answer,  respectfully  but  unhesitatingly,  nothing!  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  militia  and  volunteers  in  every  part  of  the  United 
States.  They  left  their  firesides,  families,  and  farms,  penetrated,  in  many 
instances,  the  uninhabited  wilderness — traversed  countries  without  roads, 
or  bridges — and  met,  without  a  murmur,  all  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather, 
and  all  the  hardships  incident  to  the  nature  of  the  service,  to  rid  the  country 
of  violence,  outrage,  and  death. 

The  battle  of  Baltimore  was  fought  mainly  by  the  militia  and  volunteers 
of  the  country ;  the  bloody  field  of  Fort  Erie  was  mainly  won  by  the 
militia ;  the  ever  memorable  battle  of  the  Thames  was  achieved  by  a 
charge  of  mounted  volunteer  gunmen,  a  military  operation  unparalleled  in 
the  history  of  any  country ;  all  General  Jackson’s  battles  with  the  Indians 
were  won  by  volunteer  militia ;  and  to  close  the  late  war  with  Great 
Britain,  a  battle  was  fought  and  won  on  the  plains  of  Orleans  by  the  gal¬ 
lant  but  undisciplined  sons  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  their  able  chief,  without  a  rival,  and  which  covered  the  country 
with  imperishable  glory  and  renown. 

These  brave  men  now  come  forward,  and,  relying  confidently  upon  the 
justice  and  liberality  of  Congress,  ask  a  bounty  in  land  proportionate  to 
their  services.  Your  committee  are  disposed  to  view  favorably  this  appli¬ 
cation. 

By  estimates  furnished  the  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands  by  the  Trea¬ 
sury  Department,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  quantity  of  land  to  which  the  Indian 
title  has  been  extinguished  by  the  United  States  up  to  September  30,  1835, 
was  258,348^)42  acres  ;  the  quantity  of  land  surveyed  and  offered  for  sale 


44,499,620  acres ;  the  quantity  of  land  remaining  unsold  and  liable  to 
private  entry  on  said  date,  122.397,462  acres;  the  quantity  surveyed  but 
not  offered  for  sale  at  said  date,  9,772,739  acres ;  the  quantity  within  the 
limits  of  the  United  States  west  of  the  river  Mississippi,  and  west  of  the 
organized  limits  of  the  States  and  Teritories,  715,000,000  acres. 

it  is  true  that  the  public  domain  has  stood  pledged  for  the  redemptionof 
the  public  debt,  and  that  fact  may  have  justified  the  argument  that  Con¬ 
gress  could  not  dispose  of  it  by  granting  it  in  bounties,  or  making  donations 
to  our  meritorious  citizens.  But  your  committee  are  glad  to  have  it  in  their 
power  to  say  that  the  time  for  the  use  of  that  argument  has  gone  by,  and 
now  that  the  last  cent  of  the  public  debt  has  been  paid,  and  that  the  vast 
quantity  of  the  public  lands  held  by  the  Government,  is  free  of  all  incum¬ 
brances,  your  committee  hope,  and.  believe,  that  a  more  liberal  policy  will 
hereafter  characterize  the  legislation  of  Congress  on  the  subject  of  those 
lands. 

By  two  several  acts  of  Congress,  passed  the  24th  of  December,  1811, 
and  on  the  14th  of  January,  1812,  it  is  provided,  that  whenever  any  non¬ 
commissioned  officer  or  soldier  of  the  regular  army  shall  be  discharged 
from  the  service,  who  shall  have  obtained  from  the  commanding  officer  of 
his  company,  battalion  or  regiment,  a  certificate  that  he  had  faithfully  per¬ 
formed  his  duty  whilst  in  service,  he  should  be  allowed,  in  addition  to  the 
bounty  in  money  that  those  acts  provided,  three  months’  pay,  and  one  hun - 


4 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 

dred  and  sixty  acres  of  land ;  and  the  heirs  and  representatives  of  those 
non-commissioned  officers  and  soldiers  who  might  be  killed  in  action,  or 
die  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  should  likewise  be  paid  and  allowed 
the  said  additional  bounty  of  three  months’  pay  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  to  be  designated,  surveyed  and  laid  off  at  the  public  expense, 
in  such  manner,  and  upon  such  terms  and  conditions,  as  should  be  provided 
by  law. 

By  an  act  passed  December  10,  1814,  it  is  provided,  that  in  lieu  of  the 
bounty  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  then  allowed  by  law, 
there  should  be  allowed  to  each  non-commissioned  officer  and  soldier 
thereafter  enlisted,  when  discharged  from  the  service,  who  should  have 
obtained  from  the  commanding  officer  of  his  company,  battalion  or  regiment, 
a  certificate  that  he  had  faithfully  performed  his  duty  whilst  in  the  service, 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land ,  to  be  surveyed,  laid  off  and 
granted,  under  the  regulations  prescribed  by  law.  In  the  same  act  it  is 
provided,  that  the  widow  and  children,  or  parents  of  every  non-commis¬ 
sioned  officer  and  soldier,  enlisted  according  to  law.  who  might  be  killed, 
or  die  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  should  be  entitled  to  receive  the 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  principle  of  giving  bounties  in  land,  for 
faithful  military  services,  lias  been  fully  recognised  by  the  Government, 
and  approved  by  our  fellow-citizens  generally. 

It  is  believed  by  your  commitee,  that  no  class  of  troops  engaged  in  the 
military  service  of  the  United  States  during  the  late  war,  performed  their 
duty  more  faithfully,  or  rendered  services  more  hazardous  in  their  nature, 
or  more  beneficial  in  their  results  to  the  country,  than  those  organized  mili¬ 
tia  men,  volunteers  and  rangers,  whose  claims  on  the  liberality  and  justice 
of  the  Government  are  now  brought  before  Congress  by  the  memorials  of 
the  Legislatures  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  and  joint  resolutions  of  the  Legis¬ 
lature  of  Kentucky,  who  have  received  no  bounty  in  land  from  the  United 
States,  but  who  bravely  defended  their  country  during  the  trying  scenes  of 
the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  against  all  her  foes,  whether  civilized  or 
savage. 

A  liberal  bounty  in  land  to  these  brave  men  would  be  of  great  advan¬ 
tage  to  them,  and  an  easy  method  of  remunerating  such  signal  services  so 
faithfully  rendered. 

Your  committee  therefore  report  a  bill :  they  also  adopt  as  part  of  this 
report,  letters  from  the  Hon.  3.  Reynolds,  of  Illinois,  and  the  Hon.  J.  Carr, 
of  Indiana,  addressed  to  the  committee  ;  they  also  append  to  this  report  the 
estimates  before  alluded  to.  from  the  Treasury  Department. 


Washington  City,  February  8,  183G. 

Gentlemen:  Having  introduced,  both  at  the  last  and  present  session 
of  Congress,  the  subject  of  a  bounty  in  lands  to  the  United  States  rangers 
and  other  troops ;  and  having  also  addressed  you  a  short  letter  on  the  sub¬ 
ject  at  the  last  session,  I  hope  it  will  not  be  intrusive  to  call  respectfully 
your  attention  again  to  a  subject  which  is  so  interesting  to  a  very  worthy 
and  meritorious  class  of  citizens.  I  feel  great  confidence  in  the  committee 
acting  on  this  subject  in  such  generous  and  proper  manner  as  to  he  worthy 
of  themselves  and  the  subject.  The  subject  having  already  been  before 


5 


[  Ilep.  No.  589.  ] 

V 

Congress,  and  some  of  the  committee  being  fully  impressed  with  the  justice 
and  propriety  of  the  measure,  I  will,  on  that  consideration,  confine  myself 
to  the  prominent  features  of  the  subject. 

Serving  myself  in  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  as  a  private  in  the 
United  States  ranging  corps,  I  am  enabled  by  that  service  to  speak  with 
more  confidence  on  the  subject,  and  I  hesitate  not  to  say,  that  these  and 
other  similar  troops  are,  in  justice  and  equity,  entitled  to  a  bounty  in  land, 
in  proportion  to  the  bounties  other  soldiers  received  for  their  services.  These 
soldiers,  and  others,  suffered  all  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to 
such  service  in  the  defence  of  the  country,  and  performed  that  service  not 
only  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Government,  but  to  the  entire  approbation 
and  satisfaction  of  the  country  itself,  that  they  defended. 

An  act  of  Congress  passed  on  the  2d  January,  1812,  creating  several 
companies  of  mounted  rangers  for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers.  It  is 
true,  that  these  rangers  received  one  dollar  per  day  for  their  services,  and 
were  on  consideration  thereof  compelled  to  furnish  themselves  in  every 
thing  complete  for  the  service;  out  of  this  compensation,  each  man  was 
required  to  provide  himself  with  a  horse,  gun  clothing,  provisions,  forage, 
and  all  other  equipments  necessary  for  the  service.  It  is  almost  useless  to 
inform  the  committee,  that  on  the  frontiers  of  a  thinly  inhabited  country, 
all  those  articles  necessary  to  equip  the  United  States  ranger  for  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  his  country,  were  not  only  dear,  but  difficult  to  be  procured  at  all. 

I  will  not  trouble  the  committee  with  a  minute  detail  of  the  .  price  of 
-articles,  to  show  that  these  troops  were  in  fact  worse  paid  than  the  regular 
army,  but  will  content  myself  with  a  general  statement : 

*  *  •  o 


One  horse,  per  year  - 

- 

- 

- 

$100  00 

One  gun 

- 

~ 

30  00 

Provision  for  ranger 

- 

- 

- 

70  00 

Forage  for  horse 

- 

- 

- 

30  00 

Clothing,  saddle.  &c. 

- 

- 

- 

50  00 

Incidental  expenses  - 

40  00 

$320  00 

I  have  made  a  very  low  estimate  of  the  equipment  for  a  mounted  ranger 
for  one  year.  Some  of  these  articles  may  be  of  service  at  the  expiration  of 
the  year,  but  others  will  be  used  or  lost  within  the  year,  so  that  the  above 
is  a  fair  estimate  of  the  expenses,  and  a  very  low  one,  when  we  take  into 
consideration  the  very  dear  price  of  these  articles  on  an  exposed  frontier. 
At  the  end  of  a  year,  each  ranger,  by  this  calculation,  will  receive  for  his 
service,  forty-five  dollars,  when  the  soldier  of  the  regular  army  will  receive 
ninety-six ;  being  fifty-one  dollars  more  than  the  United  States  ranger 
received. 

I  would  respectfully  suggest  to  the  committee,  if  it  be  just  and  proper, 
that  this  disparity  in  the  pay  of  troops  of  equal  grade  and  standing,  both 
sworn  into  the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  fighting  in  the  same  war, 
under  the  same  Government,  should  exist?  This  consideration  alone, 
separate  and  apart  from  all  other  views  of  the  subject,  would  give  to  these 
troops  a  strong  claim  on  the  bounty  and  liberality  of  the  Government ;  but 
when  we  know  that  the  United  States  observed  towards  other  troops  a 
policy  that  was  not  only  patriotic  and  just,  but  also  liberal  and  generous, 
in  granting  bounties  of  land  to  them,  we  are  constrained  to  believe  that 


6 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 

the  same  policy  will  be  extended  to  the  United  States  rangers,  and  other 
similar  defenders  of  the  country. 

By  two  several  acts  of  Congress,  passed  on  the  24th  December,  1811, 
and  on  the  14th  of  January,  1812,  it  is  provided  that  each  soldier  or  non¬ 
commissioned  officer  of  the  regular  army,  who  shall  receive  an  honorable 
discharge  from  the  proper  officer,  or  die  in  the  service,  shall  be  entitled, 
together  with  other  bounties,  to  receive  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  for  his  services. 

In  another  act,  passed  on  the  10th  December,  1814,  it  is  provided,  that 
all  soldiers  and  non-commissioned  officers  hereafter  enlisted,  in  lieu  of  other 
bounties  in  land,  shall  receive  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  for  their 
military  services.  This  liberal  and  enlightened  policy  of  the  Government, 
demonstrated  its  beneficial  effects  in  the  late  war,  by  organizing  an  army 
that  through  the  means  of  their  gallantry  and  noble  bearing,  the  character 
and  standing  of  the  country  was  not  only  sustained  at  home,  and  through¬ 
out  a  contest  with  the  most  powerful  nation  on  earth,  but  our  high  stand¬ 
ing  for  honor  and  chivalrous  deeds, were  known  and  acknowledged  by 
every  nation  on  the  globe. 

The  United  States  rangers,  and  similar  troops,  “acted  well  their  part” 
in  the  defence  of  the  country  during  this  war.  The  frontiers  of  Indiana, 
Illinois,  and  Missouri,  were  much  exposed  to  the  enemy  at  that  trying 
period.  The  settlements  at  that  day  were  sparse,  and  in  many  instances 
separated  from  each  other  for  hundreds  of  miles  around  the  borders  of 
this  region  of  country  of  which  three  States  are  now  formed. 

The  committee  will  at  once  see  the  importance  of  this  service,  and  the 
great  hardships,  privations  and  dangers  in  performing  it.  These  soldiers 
were  not  provided  with  baggage  wagons,  tents,  barracks,  and  other  neces¬ 
saries  which  were  furnished  to  the  regular  army,  but  were  compelled  to 
penetrate  the  wilderness  country  of  the  enemy  for  months  at  a  time,  with¬ 
out  any  of  the  conveniences  which  the  Government  provided  for  the 
regular  army,  over  and  above  their  pay.  These  hardships,  perils,  and  pri¬ 
vations,  were  endured,  and  the  service  performed  with  cheerfulness  and 
alacrity  for  the  honor,  character,  and  defence  of  their  country. 

The  country  at  that  time  was  embarrassed  with  a  war  and  in  debt.  The 
public  lands  were  pledged  for  the  payment  of  this  debt,  and  the  beneficial 
influence  of  peace  had  not  yet  reached  the  people.  On  that  consideration, 
these  brave  men,  with  the  same  patriotism  which  induced  them  to  defend', 
their  country,  without  an  equivalent,  caused  them  to  suspend  a  presenta¬ 
tion  of  their  claims.  But  now  they  present  it  to  a  country  crowned  with 
prosperity,  and  in  fact  the  admiration  of  the  world,  for  its  growth  and  pros¬ 
perous  condition.  The  public  debt  is  liquidated ;  the  lands  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment,  which  were  pledged  for  its  payment,  are  now  clear  of  that  embar¬ 
rassment,  and  in  the  hands  of  Congress  for  beneficial  purposes ;  and  the. 
Treasury  itself  is  in  such  prosperous  situation,  as  is  unparalleled  in  this  or 
any  other  country. 

Resting  the  claims  of  these  soldiers  on  this  unvarnished  statement  of 
facts,  I  appeal  to  the  committee  in  their  behalf,  and  solicit  for  them  a 
bounty  of  a  part  of  the  very  lands  which  they  defended  in  the  most  gloomy 
and  dark  periods  of  the  war.  Many  of  these  brave  defenders  of  the 
country  are  now  advanced  in  years,  and  poor;  and  in  fact  need  this  bounty 
of  the  Government.  It  would  gladden  the  hearts  of  many  of  the  rangers, 
to  know  that  the  Government  for  which  they  had  spent  many  of  their  best 


7 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 

days,  had  at  last,  recollected  them,  and  restored  them  to  plenty  and  happi¬ 
ness.  All  that  these  claimants  expect,  is  to  be  placed  on  a  footing  with 
other  troops,  and  thereby  to  receive  such  bounty  in  land  as  they  are 
-entitled  to. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  REYNOLDS. 

Hon.  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands. 


House  of  Representatives,  March  10,  1836. 

Gent  lemen  :  On  yesterday  I  had  the  honor  of  presenting  to  the  House 
of  Representatives,  and  referring  to  your  committee,  a  memorial  and  joint 
resolution  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  praying  the 
Congress  of  the  LTnited  States  to  grant  a  bounty  in  land  to  the  militia  men, 
mounted  militia  men,  and  rangers,  who  so  successfully  protected  the  frontier 
during  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain. 

This  subject  has  been  presented  to  Congress  by  the  official  acts  of  the 
Legislatures  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  within  whose  limits  reside  some  of  the 
individuals  for  whom  the  memorials  pray  Congress  for  relief,  and  within 
whose  borders  reside  some  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who  per¬ 
formed  service  in  defence  of  their  country,  and  whose  late  was  the  fate  of 
war,  for  whose  benefit  the  memorials  aforesaid  were  also  presented. 

Gentlemen,  the  people  of  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana  have  shown 
to  you  through  their  respective  Legislatures  that  they  remember  with  the 
deepest  gratitude,  and  appreciate  most  highly,  the  patriotism  and  signal 
service  rendered  to  the  country  by  the  troops  named  in  the  memorials,  and 
under  circumstances  peculiarly  hard,  and  in  times  that  tried  men’s  souls. 

This  service  was  not  only  performed  at  the  sacrifice  of  time,  and  of  pro¬ 
perty,  but  it  was  performed  at  the  expense  of  many  robust  and  sound 
constitutions.  Nor  was  this  service  the  business  of  a  day,  or  a  month,  or  of  a 
year’s  duration,  but  of  years;  nor  yet  were  the  beneficial  results  of  this 
service  confined  to  the  frontier  of  the  now  flourishing  States  of  Illinois  and 
Indiana,  but  extended  far  north  and  west. 

I  have  said  that  this  service  was  performed  at  the  sacrifice  of  time,  of 
property,  and  of  health;  this  is  true.  Nor  was  the  incentive  that  of  plea¬ 
sure,  or  of  speculation ; , those  who  rendered  this  service  were  actuated  by 
the  same  spirit,  and  resolved  to  maintain  that  independence  so  dearly  won 
by  the  toil  and  the  blood  of  their  forefathers. 

I  have  also  said  that  this  service  was  performed  under  circumstances 
peculiarly  hard.  It  is  true.  There  were  instances  where  the  father  went 
into  the  service  of  his  country  under  circumstances  which  left  no  alterna¬ 
tive  other  than  for  the  wife,  with  her  own  hands,  to  till  the  ground,  thereby 
making  a  scanty  support  for  her  helpless  family;  this,  too,  was  done  cheer¬ 
fully  by  her,  with  a  fond  hope  that  the  labors  of  her  husband  and  his 
associates  in  arms  would  be  crowned  with  success,  and  that  hG  would 
return  home  and  enjoy  with  his  family  and  friends  peace  and  happiness. 
In  some  instances  this  fondest  hope  was  realized,  while  in  many  other 
instances  the  wives  and  the  mothers  of  those  in  the  service  of  the  country, 
whose  anxiety  was  beyond  imagination  or  description,  were  saluted  with 
the  woful  intelligence  that  a  husband,  a  son,  had  fallen  in  the  battle  field, 
never  to  return.  It  may  be  thought  by  some,  and  said  by  others,  that  these 


8 


[  Rep.  No.  5S9.  ] 

troops  have  been  amply  paid  for  their  services  and  losses  sustained.  To 
this  I  cannot  assent;  1  think  it  can  be  clearly  shown  that  the  pay  received 
by  them  would  not,  in  many  instances,  half  equal  the  losses  of  property 
incurred;  and  that  the  committee  may  have  some  idea  of  the  expense 
and  liabilities  incurred  by  some  of  them,  I  beg  leave  to  refer  you  to  a  letter 
which  I  had  the  honor  to  address  to  the  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands  at 
the  last  session  of  Congress,  which,  I  think,  clearly  shows  that  their  pay 
was  not  equal  to  the  pay  received  by  the  regular  troops  who  served  in  the 
late  war,  exclusive  of  the  bounty  in  lands  which  was  given  to  the  regular 
soldiers. 

The  States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana  now  come  forth  and  ask  Congress  hi 
behalf  of  those  who  are  still  living,  and  in  behalf  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  those  who  served  their  country  in  time  of  peril  and  of  danger, 
and  who  are  no  more,  a  small  bounty  in  land,  upon  which  to  locate  their 
families  in  their  declining  years,  and  which  they  may  call  their  freeholds 
and  their  homes. 

It  is  to  the  citizen  soldier  that  this  country  looks  to  avenge  her  wrongs; 
standing  armies  in  time  of  peace,  to  eat  out  our  substance,  we  will  not  have. 
It  has  been  by  the  citizen  soldier  that  this  country  has,  in  all  times  past, 
been  mainly  defended  against  the  savage  foe  and  the  foreign  enemy;  and. 
it  is  to  the  citizen  soldier  that  this  country  will  confidently  look  in  time  to 
come  to  repel  all  invading  foes. 

Gentlemen,  your  treasury  is  full  to  overflowing,  a  plenty  and  to  spare; 
in  audition  to  this,  the  United  States  Government  is  the  proprietor  of  some 
hundred  millions  and  more  acres  of  unappropriated  lands,  but  which  is  fast 
going  into  the  hands  of  speculators  and  monopolists,  consequently  to  be 
vended  out  to  the  honest  and  laboring  classes  of  the  community  at  exorbi- 
tant  prices.  Under  these  circumstances,  can  it  be  considered  as  unreason¬ 
able  to  grant  to  those  surviving  patriots,  and  to  the  widow  and  orphan  of 
those  who  spent  so  much  of  their  youth  and  manhood  in  defending  their 
country's  cause,  and  braved  all  the  perils  and  underwent  all  the  privations 
incident  to  a  warfaring  life,  a  small  portion  of  this  vast  public  domain  in 
part  consideration  for  their  invaluable  services,  and  which  they  can  call 
their  own  and  their  homes. 

Having  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  committee  to  do  full  and  ample 
justice  to  so  meritorious  a  class  of  our  citizens,  1  look  with  the  most  san¬ 
guine  hope  for  a  favorable  report  in  their  behalf. 

With  profound  respect  and  esteem,  ]  have  the  honor  to  be  your  most 
obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

JOHN  CARE. 

To  (he  honorable  the  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands . 


TkJCASTJR  V  DePA  JiTM K^T, 

January  13,  1830. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  a  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  tluc 
General  Land  Office,  in  compliance  with  your  request  of  the  23d  ultimo. 

I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant^ 


Hon.  Z  adok  Casey, 

Com.  on  Public  Lauds ,  II.  R. 


LEVI  WOODBURY, 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


9 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 

General  Land  Office, 

January  13,  1836. 

Sir:  The  information  requested  by  the  Hon.  Z.  Casey,  in  his  letter  to 
the  Department  of  23d  ultimo,  and  which  you  referred  to  this  office,  has 
been  prepared  with  every  practicable  expedition,  and  I  transmit  herewith 
the  required  report. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

ETHAN  A.  BROWN,  Comm’r. 

Hon.  Levi  Woodbury, 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


10 


[  Rep.  No.  589.  ] 


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